Apparatus for winding material



E. E. FRANZ Jan. 24, 1939.

APPARATUS FOR WINDINGMATERIAL Original Filed Feb. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOI FRANZ 4 ORNEV J 1939- E. E. F RANZ APPARATUS FOR WINDINGMATERIAL Original Filed Feb 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR E. E.FRANZ er A fro/W5) Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAPPARATUS FOR WINDING MATERIAL Erwin E. Franz, Cranford, N. J., assignorto Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for winding material and moreparticularly to an apparatus for applying strand material and sheetmaterial upon an article or core at one operation in alternate layers.

This application is a division of application Serial Number 5,743, filedby thesame inventor under date of February 9, 1935. Patentable subjectmatter disclosed but not claimed in this application is claimed in oneof the following applications filed on the same date herewith, SerialNumber 53,957, Serial Number 53,958, or Serial Number 53,960.

In the art pertaining to electrical coils, there is a class or varietyof'coil having a core of either solid or axially hollow form and ofeither magnetic or non-magnetic material in which an insulatedelectrically conductive strand is wound in concentric layers back andforth over the peripheral surface of the core, which peripheral surfacemay be cylindrical in some instances or prismatic in others. In suchcoils it may be desirable to place further insulation betweenconsecutive helically wound layers of the conductive strand, in the formof sheets of paper or other insulating substance, and ordinarily eachsuch sheet is so dimensioned and applied that its extremities overlapeach other to form a completely closed cylindrical or prismatic surfacebetween two complete layers of conductor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeffectively operating apparatus which may be applied to the manufactureof articles having layers of strand.

One embodiment of the invention contemplates substantially automaticallyoperating apparatus provided with means to hold an article such as acoil core, means to hold a supply of sheet material and of strandmaterial, and means to apply the sheet material and the strand to thecore or other article in alternate layers, the strand being applied by acontinuous winding operation and the sheet being cut to appropriatelengths and applied intermittently by a pneumatic device over eachcompleted layer of strand, together with means to distribute the strandand means to modify the length of successive sheets of material to beintercalated between strand layers to conform to the-changing peripheralsize.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear fromthefollowing detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken inconnection with the accompanyingdrawings. in

which like reference numerals are applied to identical parts in theseveral figures and in which Fig. 1 is a broken schematic view in sideelevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention andadapted to wind insulated wire and paper sheets in alternating layersupon a prismatic core;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken detail view in section on the line 2--2 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail view in transverse section of aportion of a core being wound in the machine;

Fig. 4 is a broken schematic view in plan corresponding to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached perspective view of one of the air blasthousing sections.

In the embodiment herein disclosed, a core driving belt 20 runs over adriving drum 2| rotatably mounted in fixed position and driven by a belt22 from a motor 23. The belt 20 runs also over a fixedly positionedidler drum 24 and over a tensioning drum 25 whose shaft 26 is supportedon and urged upwardly by resilient means such as a compression spring21.

A shaft or spindle 28 is mounted as shown to lie parallel to the surfaceof the belt and is adapted to receive and support a coil core 29 forwinding insulated wire 30 and paper sheet insulation 3| thereon, thewire being drawn as required from a supply reel 32 and the paper from asupply drum 33 each appropriately supported and mounted in the relativepositions shown. The drum 33 and reel 32 will be provided with customarymeans (not shown) to afford tension on the material being drawntherefrom.

The belt 20 runs against the under face of the core 30 or of the wireand/or paper wound thereon and thus drives the core and therewith theshaft 28 in rotation. A distribution control rod 34 oriented parallel tothe shaft 28 is mounted to slide freely longitudinally in a pair ofsupports 35 supported in any suitable fashion, and the rod is providedsubstantially midway of its length with a transverse perforation 36which fits loosely about the strand 3!] threaded therethrough. Stops 31are rigidly positioned in line with the ends of the rod and are sospaced that when a complete layer of strand is laid on the core the rodcarried along by the strand will bump against one or other of the stopsand by its slight rebound therefrom will start the strand to coil in areverse direction, the distribution of the strand in snugly abuttingturns during the winding being generally effected as indicated in Fig. 2by the yielding pressure of the belt 20 in both lateral and radialdirections against the portion of strand momentarily being wound.

The shaft 28 carries at its farther end a gear 38 meshing with anothergear 39 mounted on a shaft 49 below and parallel to the shaft 28. Cams4| and 42 are mounted on the near and far por-. tions respectively ofthe shaft 40. Cam 4| actuates a lever 43 pivoted on any convenientsupport such as the shaft of the idler drum 24. Cam 42 actuates asimilar lever 44 similarly pivotally mounted.

A continuous sheet of paper 3| or other analogous material, is drawnfrom the storage or supply roller 33 and passes over an intermittentlyactuated measuring roller 45 and under a complementary freely rotatableroller 46 mounted on a shaft 41 and urged toward the roller 48 bygravity or, as shown, by springs 49. Two paral lel actuating levers 59and 5| are secured rigidly at one end to a collar 63 surrounding theshaft 49 in which latter the roller 45 is rigidlymounted. The other endsof the levers are held spaced apart in a yoke 52. V

The levers 5|! and 5| are driven to and fro and turn the roller 45 instep by step unidirectional motion of varying amplitude by means notherein further described as not pertinent to the subject matter of thepresent invention, but which are completely disclosed and described inthe above identified application of whichthe present is a division.

The sheet of paper 3| emerging from between the rollers 45 and 46 passesover a, narrow supporting table II the left hand edge of which forms thefixed blade of a shearing device of which the movable member 12 is theother blade. The near end of the blade 12 is pivoted to the table, and alink 13 is pivotally attached at one end thereof to one arm of a lever14 the other end of which is provided with an offset stud 15 carrying inwhich is mounted an adjustment screw 16 the head of which rests on thelever 44 to be lifted thereby.

The paper 3| after passing the shears H, 12 is received within an airblast housing 11 whose base faces the shears and whose nose 78 pointstoward the point of application of the strand 30 to the winding on thecore 29. This housing consists of two substantially identicalcomplementary sections 19 and 88 and a description of either will applyequally to both. Thus the section 80 (Fig. 5) may be a solid block ofmetal formed on the surface which is applied to the section 19 with atransverse rearwardly sloping entrance ramp 8| leading to acomparatively large recess 82 from the forward side of which a pluralityof relatively wide parallelair grooves 83 separated by narrow paperguides 84 extend through the nose portion. One or more passages 85communicate from the recess 82 to an air duct 86 encircling the wholehousing. The paper guides 84 may preferably be slightly beveled at theirupper or rear ends to facilitate the passage of the paper thereover,there being a narrow space between the guides 84 of the block 88 and thecorrespondingly positioned guides of the superimposed block 19. Amovable gate normally closes the outlet of the nose l8 and comprises afiat bar 81 carried at either end on pins 88 upstanding from atransverse rod 89 resting on a transverse member 98 carried by a leverarm 9| and extending beyond the same to support an adjustment screw 92whose head rests on the lever 43.

The lever 9| is pivoted by an integral collar 93 on the inlet of the'airductl86 and there actuates a valve (not shown) within the collar whichcontrols the admission of compressed air from a source not shown througha pipe 94 to the air duct 88.

In operation a roll of strand is placed at 32, a roll of paper at 33 anda core 29 to be wound is placed on the spindle 28. The strand 30 isbrought through the hole in the rod 34 and secured to the core at oneend of the lateral peripheral surface thereof. The paper is broughtbetween the rollers 45 and 46 and over the table until its previouslysquared end matches against the shear blade edge of the table. Thevarious driving gears and other interrelated parts and mechanisms are soproportioned and arranged that the sequence or cycle of operations andevents now to be described will ensue in proper order and relation.

The motor 23 is then started, driving the drum 2| and with it the belt20, which, running against the under side of the core 29 and against thestrand 39 thereon, rotates the core to wind the strand thereon andsimultaneously forces each turn of the winding to lie snugly andsmoothly against the previous turn as indicated in Fig. 2. The corecontemplated in the present disclosure is one in the form of a spoolhaving a central drum of substantially square cross-section and enlargedparallel transverse heads. Hence the radius of the part of the coreagainst the belt varies, and

therefore the drum 25 is yieldingly mounted to allow the belt toaccommodate itself to the core in all positions. When one layer ofwinding is completed the head of the core compels the first turn of thenext layer to lie upon the last turn of the preceding layer and the rod36 bumping against one of the stops 31 and rebounding slightly bringsthe second turn out beside the first thus starting the winding of thesecond layer in the opposite direction to the first.

The gear 38, driven by the core on the spindle 28, drives the gear 39and hence the cams 4| and 42. A sheet of paper of suitable length,prepared as hereinafter described, is at this time lying in the housing1'! against the gate 81. At the moment when the last turn of a windingis completed, the cam 4| lifts the lever 43, the screw 92 and the lever9| opening the air valve within the collar 93. Compressed air from theduct 94 enters the housing both above and below the sheet of paperthrough the duct 88, chamber 82 and grooves 83. The sheet is blownforward until its forward edge is caught by the incipient first turn ofthe next layer of winding and is rolled around the preceding layer ofwinding by the belt 20 and is covered by the succeeding layer, the sheetbeing of such length as to wrap once around with a slightoverlap. Thelever 9| in rising carries the bar 90 with it forcing the pins 88 andthe paper stop 81 up to allow the paper to be blown out of the housing11. The cam 4| immediately drops the lever 9|, cutting off the supply ofair and bringing the paper stop 81 back over the outlet of the housing.

Evidently each layer of the winding is of greater circumference than thepreceding layer -and requires a longer sheet of paper to wrap around it.The length of each sheet is determined by the action of the paper feedroller 45 which is driven step by step by the levers and 5|.

When the predetermined length of paper has been fed through the shears,the cam 42 lifts the lever 44 pulling the shear blade 12 down to cut thepaper off, and the latter slides down by gravity between the guides 84and rests against the gate 81 ready for another cycle of operation asdescribed.

Thus the apparatus winds strand on a core in successive helically woundlayers as a continuous operation, and at the same time measures out,cuts off, and inserts pieces of sheet material, of predetermined andpredeterminedly changing lengths, between consecutive layers of strandwinding.

The accompanying drawings are purely schematic, many details notessentially of the invention being omitted as familiar to those skilledin the art, and the proportions of parts being distorted in someinstances for clearness or compactness. In particular the ratio of thegears 38:39 will be dependent upon the number of turns in each layer ofthe winding.

It may be pointed out here that an important advantage of the presentinvention is that the pneumatic means therein provided for placing thesheet material on the article, by proper timing of the action thereof,permits the placing of the sheets in position to be caught and wound bythe strand without any necessity of halting or even slowing down thestrand winding mechanism, as is required in some machines of the priorart having mechanical devices for this purpose. Such deceleration andacceleration either makes it necessary to run the machine at a slowaverage pace or else may be the cause of racking the apparatusdestructively, at least so far as its accuracy of operation andparticularly of operative synchronism of functioning is concerned.

Another important feature is the orientation of the grooves 83 in thehousing 'I'I along the direction of motion of the sheets and of the flowof air. While each sheet is guided between the ridges 84 and propelledboth by action of the air on its faces and possibly on its rear edge,vibration of the rear edge analogous to that of a musical reed isprevented by the relief of incipient air pressure above or below, or itsequalization, via the channels 83.

Another notable advantage is the simplicity of the means used to placethe strand in snugly abutted coils in each layer of winding and toreverse the winding spiral in successive layers. There is no complex anddelicate distributor mechanism to be driven in swiftly alternatedreciprocation. The belt 20, which serves to drive the core in rotation,is made of laterally flexible and even laterally slightly elasticallyextensible construction, and in virtue of these qualities the beltserves also to guide and seat the wire properly as it is wound on. Abelt for this purpose may be made of woven fabric with a rubber orsimilar covering thereover, the strands of the fabric runninglongitudinally of the belt being closely juxtaposed and the transversestrands being relatively widely spaced and loosely interwoven. It willbe noted that the double function of the belt is to press the strandbeing wound both laterally and radially of the rotating article beingwound against both the article and the previous turn of strand, and thatthis pressure is effected at the point of application of the strand tothe article. The belt is effective for its purposes whether sheetmaterial is being intercalated between layers of strand or not, and istherefore not limited in use to winding both types of materialsimultaneously.

The embodiment herein disclosed is illustrative only and may be widelymodified and departed from without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for winding sheet material on an article, means tofeed disconnected portions of sheet material thereto comprising a.housing to receive a portion of sheet material and having an interiorspace defined by the housing and consisting of a tapered sheet receivingportion and an enlarged air receiving portion communicating therewithand a contracted sheet guiding portion opening therefrom, and pneumaticmeans to blow the portion edgewise out of the housing, all the walls ofthe said housing being impervious except for entrance and exit aperturesfor the sheet material and the pneumatic 2. In an apparatus for windingsheet material on an article, means to feed disconnected portions ofsheet material thereto comprising a 5 housing to receive a portion ofsheet material and having an interior space defined by the housing andconsisting of a tapered sheet receiving portion and an enlarged airreceiving portion com municating therewith and a contracted sheetguiding portion opening therefrom, a movable gate, and pneumatic meansto blow the portion edgewise out of the housing, all the walls of thesaid housing being impervious except for entrance and exit apertures forthe sheet material and the pneumatic fluid.

3. In an apparatus for winding sheet material on an article, means tofeed disconnected portions of sheet material thereto comprising ahousing to receive a portion of sheet material, all the walls of thehousing being impervious except for entrance and exit apertures for thesheet material and for pneumatic fiuid, a movable gate to close the exitaperture, and means to supply fluid under pressure to the pneumaticfluid entrance aperture to blow a portion of sheet material edgewisefrom the exit aperture.

4. In an apparatus for Winding sheet material on an article, means tofeed disconnected portions of sheet material thereto comprising ahousing to receive a portion of sheet material, all the walls of thehousing being impervious except for entrance and exit apertures for thesheet material and for pneumatic fluid, a movable gate to close the exitaperture, means to supply fluid under pressure to the pneumatic fluidentrance aperture to blow a portion of sheet material edgewise from theexit aperture, and means to open the gate and to actuate the fluidsupply means in timed relation.

ERWIN E. FRANZ.

